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An Analysis Of Tennessee Gateway Exams And The Variables Related To Student Results., Judy W. Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the variables that are associated with the percentage of students who pass Tennessee's Gateway exams in high school. Associations were examined between the Gateway exams and variables such as: socioeconomic status, ethnicity, dropout rate, graduation rate, attendance, average daily membership, per-pupil expenditure, teachers' salary, and elementary-school reading scores.

Pearson correlations between school characteristics and pass rates of three Gateway exams were calculated. Schools were divided into quartiles based upon socioeconomic status and ethnicity in order to examine pass rates of the Gateway exams among different quartiles. Independent samples t tests were performed …

Fabrication Of A Microfluidic Platform For Impedance Analysis Of Cultured Endothelial Cell Monolayers., Stuart J. Williams 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the functionality of the endothelium can provide insight into the initiation and formation of arterial diseases. One of the most important functions of the endothelial layer is its permeability. The integrity of the cell monolayer and its ability to transport molecules can be assessed in vitro by investigating the electrical impedance. In this study, a microfluidic platform was created using an electrode-patterned glass substrate and microfluidic poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) substrate. The electrode glass base of the structure was fabricated with platinum square electrodes of various sizes ranging from 10x10 ìm2 to 160x160 ìm2 and a larger, common counter electrode. …

Role Of Xenopus Laevis Integrin Linked Kinase (Xilk) During Early Development., Sharareh (Sherry) Savari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrin linked kinase (ILK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase implicated in the phosphatidylinositol 3'kinase (PI3'K) pathway (Delcommenne et al., 1998). In our study, we isolated and characterized a cDNA clone encoding ILK in Xenopus laevis (X-ILK). The experiments were executed in both embryos and adult tissues to compare the relationship between the ILK expression patterns. Sequence analysis of X-ILK revealed that it is 59% identical to human ILK (HILK) cDNA and 71% identical to human ILK (H-ILK) protein. The well-known domains of ILK (ankyrin domain, Pleckstrin homology domain, kinase domain and paxillin binding site) are preserved among human, mouse, rat …

Sediments As A Dispersal Vector Of Aquatic Invertebrates: An Estimation Of Propagule Pressure Associated With 'No Ballast On Board' Vessels, Sarah A. Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ballast water has been the primary vector of nonindigenous species (NIS) to the Laurentian Great Lakes over the past 45 years. Although ballast water exchange regulations were implemented in 1993 to reduce propagule loads, new NIS continue to be discovered. A possible explanation for this trend is the importance of alternative vectors, such as resting stages of invertebrates in residual ballast sediments of transoceanic ships claiming 'no ballast on board'. To determine the risk of invasion potentially associated with this vector, I collected sediment samples from 39 ships entering the Great Lakes and measured the density, diversity and viability of …

Comparison Of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus Clupeaformis ) Growth In Lake Erie And Lake Ontario., Chelsey E. Lumb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth is the ultimate response of an organism to its environment. The objective of this study was to compare growth of lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis) in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, from 1954 to 2003. Trends in lake whitefish abundance were similar in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario from the 1950s until 1990, when abundance began to decline in Lake Ontario while remaining relatively stable in Lake Erie. Although both lakes have undergone similar environmental changes, from decreasing phosphorous loading to invasion by dreissenid mussels, declining growth and condition were more pronounced in Lake Ontario. Trends in abundance, growth, …

Population Dynamics Of Age-0 Walleye In Western Lake Erie., Sarah E. H. Bartnik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Finding the factors that determine recruitment for various fishes has been the primary objective in fisheries science for over a century. Another goal of fisheries science has been to further the understanding of how individual stocks interact both among themselves and with the environment. This thesis attempts to explore both recruitment variability and the stock structure of walleye (Sander vitreus Mitchell 1818) in western Lake Erie. Year-class strength has been associated with variables that describe the environment of a fish population. Walleye are a percid species whose populations are influenced by environmental factors and thus resource managers on Lake Erie …

Patch- And Regional-Level Population Biology, With Particular Reference To Gleditsia Triacanthos (Fabaceae): Landscape And Plant Ecology Across The Geographic Range., Helen T. Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological analyses at large spatial scales have emerged over the past decade in response to increasing awareness of the importance of landscape- and regional-scale processes in structuring fragmented terrestrial communities. Even relatively large-scale ecological studies, however, are usually not large enough to observe the variation in conditions that a species experiences across its entire geographic range. The geographic ranges of tree species often encompass great latitudinal and altitudinal scope, and all the associated climatic and geological variability which subsequently affects a suite of ecological, physical and physiological factors. In this thesis I examine the applicability of classic theories and current …

An Investigation Of The Use Of Otolith Microchemistry To Discriminate Reef Fish Populations And Assess The Movement Of Individuals., Paul M. Chittaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this thesis was to assess the degree of connectivity among populations of two highly abundant Caribbean reef fish (Stegasies partitus, Bicolor damselfish, and Haemulon flovolineatum , French grunt) at specific, but different portions of their life history; pelagic and demersal stages. In Chapter 2 (Section A) I assessed the classification of individuals to the site and time they were collected. The classification of S. partitus to their collection sites, separated by as little as 5 km, was moderately successful, while investigations of the temporal variability revealed substantial variability at the scale of two weeks. This spatial …

Fish Indicators Of Anthropogenic Stress At Great Lakes Coastal Margins: Multimetric And Multivariate Approaches., Yakuta Bhagat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two commonly applied approaches to assessing the health of an aquatic habitat are the multimetric index of biotic integrity (IBI) and the multivariate approach. Fish community composition and local environmental conditions were measured at 143 sites across the entire U.S. coastline between 2002 and 2003, using overnight-set fyke nets (a large collaborative study to develop environmental indicators at Great Lakes coastal margins (GLEI)). Of these sites, data from 55 wetlands were used in an attempt to develop IBIs for the Northern Great Lakes (NGL) ecoregion and the Erie and Ontario (EOL) ecoregion. Candidate metrics were evaluated with respect to agricultural …

Floristics And Taxonomy Of The Endemic Diatom Flora Of The Ancient Malili Lakes, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia., Andrew J. Bramburger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mechanisms regulating the taxonomic composition and relative abundance of taxa within biological systems are poorly understood. The diatoms of the ancient Malili Lakes (Sulawesi Island, Indonesia), however, provide an ideal system to quantify the relative importance of various mechanisms and selective processes, including geographic isolation, competition, selection, and physical limnology on the physical morphology and community characteristics of living organisms. In a quantitative examination of the floristics of the diatoms of the Malili Lakes, I evaluate the influences of geographic isolation and propagule pressure on the development of the diatom floras of the individual lakes. This floristic examination demonstrates …

Importance Of Dispersal In Coral Reef Fishes., Camilo Mora

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among vertebrates, coral reef fishes are a spectacularly diverse group currently threatened by different forms of human activities. Such a situation has added impetus to the understanding of ecological processes that regulate their diversity. The aim of this dissertation is to assess the role of dispersal in processes that maintain the diversity of coral reef fishes at levels of integration ranging from populations to communities. I started by reviewing existing information of dispersal in coral reef fishes and showing that critical methodological artifacts, biases and alternative interpretations limit any conclusion on the extent to which reef fish populations are "open" …

Distribution Of Bioavailable Organic Contaminants In The Lower Food Web Of Morphologically Distinct Freshwater Lakes., Harold J. Hagen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on limnological processes that impact Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant (HOC) cycling within the lower food web components of freshwater lakes. Four lake systems were selected to test if mixing profiles and lake thermostructure contribute to fugacity gradients between different components of the lower food web. To test the hypotheses, net plankton (63 and 150mum mesh), benthos, sediments and water chemistry parameters were collected from both well mixed and thermally stratified lakes in Southern Ontario during open water periods of 2002 and 2003. Calibrated mussel ( Elliptio complanata) biomonitors were deployed in containment cages to track HOC residues in …

Sound Localization And Auditory Response Capabilities In The Round Goby (Neogobius Melanostomus)., Audrey Katharina Rollo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental role of vertebrate auditory systems is determining the direction of a sound source. While fish show directional responses to sound, sound localization remains in dispute. Determining directionality is the ability to distinguish between the left or right side, while localization is being able to determine where in space the origin is. The species used in the current study, Neogobius melanostomus (round goby) uses sound in reproductive contexts, with both male and female gobies showing directed movement towards a calling male. A two-choice laboratory experiment was used (active versus quiet speaker) to analyze behaviour of gobies in response to …

Why Are Salmon Eggs Red? An Investigation Of The Benefits Of Red Carotenoid-Based Pigmentation In The Eggs And Offspring Of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha), Selene Tracy Tyndale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Red carotenoid-based pigmentation is characteristic of salmonid eggs. Though this incurs metabolic costs for maternal accumulation/allocation, and increases predation risk to the eggs, to date there has been no empirically supported adaptive explanation documenting benefits to offset the costs of red egg pigmentation in salmonids. This study investigates relationships between maternal egg carotenoid concentrations and measures of survival and immune function in larval and juvenile salmon. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) possess a rare genetic polymorphism resulting in red- and white-fleshed phenotypes representing the most diverse range of naturally occurring flesh and egg carotenoid-based pigmentation known in any single salmonid species. …

Characterization Of The Gene Encoding Cathepsin L-Associated Protein From Artemia Franciscana And Its Expression During Development, Li Qian Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The major cysteine protease in embryos and larvae of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, is a heterodimeric protein consisting of a catalytic subunit (28.5 kDa) with a high degree of homology with cathepsin L (CL), and a non-catalytic subunit (31.5 kDa), cathepsin L-associated protein (CLAP). My study mainly focuses on identification and characterization of the CLAP cDNA and its gene. An Artemia franciscana cDNA library was screened to identify the full-length cDNA of the CLAP. Sequence analysis of positive cDNA clones revealed the presence of at least two variants of the CLAP gene, one has 1888 bp with an open …

Fish-Habitat Associations In Shallow Canadian Waters Of The Detroit River., Nicolas W. R. Lapointe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat loss and degradation is considered the greatest threat to freshwater biodiversity. In this study, I examined fish-habitat associations in shallow Canadian waters of the Detroit River. To determine the most effective method of sampling fishes in a large connecting channel, several techniques were compared at 30 sites in the middle Detroit River in 2003. In 2004, 60 sites were selected from shallow Canadian waters, and sampled in May (spring), July (summer) and September (fall). Local environmental variables were measured to determine microhabitat preferences of fishes. At a larger scale, sites were distributed between inshore and offshore areas, and among …